Uploaded August 2009 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Barry Goldwater speech from "Barry Goldwater Speaks Out"., 1964
"It is my chore to ask you to consider... the need for a frontal attack against Santa Claus--not the Santa Claus of the holiday season, of course, but the Santa Claus of:
--the free lunch
--the government handout
--the Santa Claus of something-for-nothing and something-for-everyone...
I am against:
--the double-talk that speaks of economy while acting to spend.
--the gestures to free enterprise while planning new controls.
--the direction of a government establishment that is prepared to nationalize society while paying for it with the fruits of private industry.
--the direction of a government establishment that is prepared to spend and spend so that it may elect and elect.
--the direction of a government establishment prepared to sacrifice the liberties of the many to cater to the demands of a few.
--the direction of a government establishment that confuses local need with national necessity, trying to buy off today's problems with tomorrow's bankruptcy.
--the direction of a nation being led to believe that relief programs can end poverty rather than only institutionalize poverty.
--the direction of a nation that has built the greatest prosperity ever known, by individual initiative, but which now is tempted to forsake that initiative for the illusory comforts of government guardianship." - Goldwater
"A few years ago, some called a family poor if its income was below $1,500. Now it is $3,000. Others say that any family is poor if it can't afford what the Department of Labor computes to be the standard of living of the average urban worker. In a country as wealthy as ours, it is implied, everyone should be above the average! An interesting statistical exercise!" - Goldwater
"It is impossible for human nature to believe that money is not there. It seems so much more likely that the money is there and only needs bawling for." - Dorothy Sayers
Barry Goldwater speech from "Barry Goldwater Speaks Out"., 1964
"It is my chore to ask you to consider... the need for a frontal attack against Santa Claus--not the Santa Claus of the holiday season, of course, but the Santa Claus of:
--the free lunch
--the government handout
--the Santa Claus of something-for-nothing and something-for-everyone...
I am against:
--the double-talk that speaks of economy while acting to spend.
--the gestures to free enterprise while planning new controls.
--the direction of a government establishment that is prepared to nationalize society while paying for it with the fruits of private industry.
--the direction of a government establishment that is prepared to spend and spend so that it may elect and elect.
--the direction of a government establishment prepared to sacrifice the liberties of the many to cater to the demands of a few.
--the direction of a government establishment that confuses local need with national necessity, trying to buy off today's problems with tomorrow's bankruptcy.
--the direction of a nation being led to believe that relief programs can end poverty rather than only institutionalize poverty.
--the direction of a nation that has built the greatest prosperity ever known, by individual initiative, but which now is tempted to forsake that initiative for the illusory comforts of government guardianship." - Goldwater
"A few years ago, some called a family poor if its income was below $1,500. Now it is $3,000. Others say that any family is poor if it can't afford what the Department of Labor computes to be the standard of living of the average urban worker. In a country as wealthy as ours, it is implied, everyone should be above the average! An interesting statistical exercise!" - Goldwater
"It is impossible for human nature to believe that money is not there. It seems so much more likely that the money is there and only needs bawling for." - Dorothy Sayers
